The simultaneous fires that broke out around Uljin and Samcheok on 4 March 2022 were finally put out on the morning of Sunday 13 March, with the rain that fell that day.
Over that period the fires consumed an area of forest some eighty times the size of Yeouido, along with many homes and much property. Around 4,500 firefighters and soldiers were mobilised against them, with some eighty firefighting helicopters and several hundred fire engines.
Around thirty IDRN members in Korea took part. Working in shifts over five days, about ten each day joined Red Cross volunteers to prepare meals for the crews fighting the fire, wash up afterwards, and handle food waste and recycling.
Embers that would not go out, strong winds constantly changing direction, and a fire spreading frighteningly fast meant thousands of people fought a long battle with hundreds of pieces of equipment — and in the end it was the rain God sent in abundance that put the fire out completely.
Our thanks to the IDRN members who came from across the country, and to everyone who stood with them from home in prayer and support.
March 2022
Kim Jin-ho, Director, Together International